Carmen Palencia, director of the NGO Victims Association for the Restitution of assets and land in Uraba, told Associated Press that the squatters demand the return of land stolen from them by paramilitary forces over the years. Palencia denied that the farmers are occupying farmland, but are on public territory. “This is a social problem that has to do with housing shortage. The people have no homes,” she said.

According to the NGO, some 50,000 hectares of land in the banana growing region are still in the hands of those who illegally acquired the land through forced displacement by paramilitary groups in the 1990s and 2000s.

According to W Radio, the farmers squatted the lands to demand the restitution of lands stolen from them by paramilitaries in the 1990s and 2000s.

Local politicians behind Uraba protests: Minister was last modified: May 9th, 2011 by Adriaan Alsema